A material realist is a Sagittarius born on December 17th. They set high goals but are mature enough to tolerate failure. Their ability to lead usually emerges early in their careers.
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Is the 18th of December a Sagittarius or an Ophiuchus?
Were you born between the 30th of November and the 18th of December?
On your birthday, the sun will most likely pass in front of the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
I’m almost expecting to hear someone say:
You’re entirely correct. Because Ophiuchus is a constellation rather than a zodiac sign, this is the case. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between astrological signs and astronomical constellations, when and where to look for Ophiuchus, the deep-sky gems it holds, its mythology, science, and more.
Signs versus constellations
On August and September evenings, the Serpent Bearer stands tall in the south to southwest sky from Northern Hemisphere latitudes. Ophiuchus is closer to above from the Southern Hemisphere. Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpionis, is also close by.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) drew up the official boundary lines for all 88 constellations in the 1930s. Rasalhague, Ophiuchus’ brightest star, and Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star, are labeled in the photo below of the constellation Ophiuchus. Rasalhague is a bright star that marks Ophiuchus’ head, although it pales in comparison to Antares, the star that depicts the Scorpion’s beating heart.
Ophiuchus is in a bad way. Despite the fact that the ecliptic passes through him, no one ever claims him as a birth sign. After all, the zodiac band stretches 8 degrees north and south of the ecliptic, with a total width of 16 degrees. The constellations aren’t evenly distributed along this area in our sky, either. Everyone who reads astrological advice online is familiar with the zodiac signs. There are 12 zodiac signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and so forth. However, there is no Ophiuchus.
However, the moon and planets pass through Ophiuchus on a regular basis. Likewise, the sun. From roughly November 30 to December 18, the sun is in front of Ophiuchus.
Around November 21, or anytime the sun is exactly 30 degrees west of the December solstice point, the sun is said to enter the sign of Sagittarius. On the December 21 solstice, the sun enters the sign of Capricorn. So, regardless of the sun shining in front of the constellation Ophiuchus from November 30 to December 18, the sun passes through the sign Sagittarius for the month leading up to the December solstice.
By the way, in around 72 years, the December solstice point advances one degree westward in front of the zodiacal constellationsor backdrop stars. By the year 2269, the December solstice point will have finally moved into the constellation Ophiuchus.
When and where to locate Ophiuchus
Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is the ideal time to see Ophiuchus (Southern Hemisphere winter). Late July and early August in the Northern Hemisphere show this constellation high in the southern sky during twilight and early evening. On fall evenings in the Northern Hemisphere, it can be visible in the southwest sky.
This relatively large constellation lies to the north of Scorpius the Scorpion and to the south of Hercules the Hero in the sky. If you’re familiar with the brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, try star-hopping to Ophiuchus from this crimson beauty. The star Rasalhague appears on Ophiuchus’ skull (Alpha Ophiuchi).
In tradition and in the sky, Ophiuchus is associated with the Serpent constellation.
If you have a dark sky, you might notice that this is one constellation that looks exactly how it should: a large man holding a snake.
Ophiuchus is derived from two Greek words that signify serpent and holding.
Deep-sky objects in Ophiuchus
Take your binoculars and scan Ophiuchus, which lies in the Milky Way band and has numerous deep-sky wonders, on a night when the moon isn’t visible. For example, Ophiuchus has a lot of globular clusters. M10 and M12 are the two simplest globular clusters to see with conventional binoculars, as seen in the chart above. They seem as weak puffs of light via binoculars, but with a telescope, you can see these globular clusters for what they are. They’re massive stellar metropolis with hundreds of thousands of stars that span a hundred to a few hundred light-years in diameter.
The Pipe Nebula, a massive interstellar cloud of gas and dust spreading across nearly 7 degrees of sky, is another big deep-sky favorite. That’s about the width of three to four fingers at arm’s length. This dark nebula is located in southern Ophiuchus at a distance of 600 to 700 light-years and can be viewed with the naked eye in a dark, transparent sky. The Pipe Nebula is located to the east of Antares and to the north of Shaula and Lesath. The above chart shows these two stars (but not the Pipe Nebula).
Ophiuchus in myth and star lore
Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, the Greek deity of medicine and doctors, in Greek mythology. He is always shown with a large serpent or snake in his hand. A snake’s venom can either kill or cure, depending on how it’s utilized. Asclepius is claimed to have manufactured a healing elixir from Serpens the Serpent’s venom, Gorgon’s blood, and an unknown herb. Until the god of the underworld, Pluto, appealed to the king of the gods, this potion granted humanity immortality. Pluto urged Zeus to rethink the consequences of death’s death.
We have no idea how Pluto made his case. Maybe he just said that what never lives never dies, and that no mortal can have one without the other. Sophocles may have summed up the myth’s core theme when he said:
It is preferable to die and sleep the never-waking slumber than to live after the soul’s life has passed.
In his Four Quartets, poet T.S. Eliot may have mirrored the notion of the ever-living story:
We perish in the company of the dying:
We are born with the dead in our midst:
In any case, according to legend, Zeus seized the elixir, exiled Asclepius from Earth, and enshrined the great physician in the celestial realms. Today, the Staff of Asclepius, a symbol of the World Health Organization and other medical organizations, pays homage to this myth and mirrors the magnificent celestial shape of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation.
Ophiuchus in history and science
A supernova explosion of a star within our own Milky Way galaxy hasn’t been seen in almost 400 years. However, in the year 1604, a supernova known as Kepler’s Supernova blasted into the scene, allowing for 18 months of naked-eye sight. It sparkled in the southern hemisphere of Ophiuchus, not far from the Pipe Nebula.
Tycho’s Supernova, which lighted up Cassiopeia in 1572, was followed by Kepler’s Supernova in 1604. The Aristotelian notion of an unchangeable world outside the orbit of the moon was shattered by these supernovae, which sent shock waves through Europe’s elite. Tycho Brahe measured the 1572 supernova’s parallax, proving that it was not an atmospheric phenomenon. In reality, the supernova flashed well beyond the orbit of the moon. Shortly after, in 1604, Kepler’s Supernova seemed to hammer home the point once more.
Furthermore, in 1577, Tycho Brahe estimated the distance of a comet and discovered that it was also farther away than the moon. Aristotelians wanted to believe comets were gases burning in the atmosphere, but Tycho disproved Aristotle’s unchanging universe theory once more.
Bottom line: For nearly two weeks each year, the sun passes through the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, making Ophiuchus an unofficial member of the zodiac. Learn the difference between astrological signs and astronomy constellations, as well as how to find Ophiuchus.
Is the 17th of December a cusp date?
Sagittarius-Capricorn Cusp people are born between December 18 and December 24. They are born on the precipice of prophesy, possessing all of the positive attributes and potentialities. So, here’s everything you need to know about their personalities, strengths, weaknesses, and compatibility.
What is unique about the 17th of December?
The 17th of December has been designated as Wright Brothers Day by Presidential Proclamation. Every year, a proclamation encourages Americans to commemorate the day with appropriate rituals and activities.
The first successful flights in a heavier-than-air, mechanically propelled airplane are commemorated on Wright Brothers Day, according to the United States Code. On December 17, 1903, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew for the first time. Orville and Wilbur invented the first mechanically driven aeroplane, while other inventors created planes that flew. In many ways, the Wright brothers were influenced by the inventors who came before them.
Is the 17th of December a Capricorn?
DECEMBER CAPRICORN (Dec. Some things can be easily changed, while others cannot, and knowing which is which during the next 24 hours is critical. Saturn, your ruler, advises you to maintain the status quo for the time being.
What are the three Sagittarius types?
A decan connected with the moon, Goddess of mystery and fluidity, begins around December 1 and spans 10-20 degrees of Sagittarius. Because the moon is associated with feminine nocturnal elements, it is not usually regarded as particularly lucky or powerful in masculine fire/air signs. Sagittarius, on the other hand, is a mutable sign, and its fluctuating environment corresponds to the moon’s continual light oscillations. This decan also happens to be opposite the midpoint of the moon’s two most powerful signs, Taurus and Cancer. The moon gently ushers us into the oncoming night here.
The number nine of that element, in this case the Nine of Wands, is associated with the second decan of a mutable sign. The Rider-Waite version of this card, known as “the Lord of Great Strength” in Book T of the Golden Dawn, depicts a battle-scarred warrior who appears to be on alert and ready at all times. At first glance, this does not appear to be a reflection of the moon’s energy, but it is a defensive rather than aggressive posture. Nines depict the suit’s energy being fully realized, as well as the cost of achieving it. It is now necessary to defend what has been gained through a series of wars.
Is Sagittarius a unique zodiac sign?
Aries is the second rarest zodiac sign, followed by Sagittarius, both of which are fire signs, according to Stardust.
According to Stardust, the first sign of the zodiac is Aries, which has a spark of creativity that “gets everyone going and moving.” According to Stardust, Sagittarius, the third rarest zodiac sign, “falls during the autumn season and are renowned to be adventurous and free-spirited.”
Who is the enemy of Sagittarius?
According to Kerr Wright, the most likely opponents of a Sagittarius are Pisces, Cancer, and Aquarius. Because Sagittarius is a problem-solver, it can intensify Pisces’ need to concentrate on the current dispute rather than taking efforts to resolve it.
Sagittarius
Have you noticed the “new one?” Ophiuchus (pronounced or-phew-cuss) is the 13th zodiac sign, a summer constellation well-known to stargazers but overlooked by traditional astrology. It’s true! On November 29, the Sun enters the constellation of Ophiuchus and leaves on December 18… a period of the year typically associated with Sagittarius.
Many Sagitarians are actually Ophiucuns, despite the fact that many of us are the star sign before the one we assume we are.
When you look at the list of true star sign dates, you’ll notice that the Sun spends vastly varying amounts of time within each zodiacal constellation. It travels into Scorpio in a week and out in a week, while spending 45 days in Virgo.
It’s partly due to the fact that the star signs were reduced down to 12 (omitting Ophiuchus) and then rounded up to cover a month each.
The astrological star signs were established by the Babylonians who lived in Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq and Syria, around 3,000 years ago.
Precession is a natural process that occurs every 25,800 years and causes the Earth to wobble on its axis, much like a spinning top, due to the gravitational impact of the Moon. As a result, the “North Star” and the equinox positions are continually changing. In other words, the stars’ apparent locations have migrated west.
As a result, the Sun on your birthday is very unlikely to be in the same star sign as it is according to traditional astrology.
So the next time someone checks your horoscope or says something like “typical Capricorn!” you may be sure they’re talking nonsense. Because, in addition to giving meaning to alignments, which is illogical, their alignments are 3,000 years old.